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Commas
A Comma'' ''is a punctuation mark used in writing for a variety of reasons. Commas are often thought to be used when there is a pause or break in the sentence, but the rules for commas are more specific than a pause in speech."College of Arts and Sciences." The Writing Center Commas Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. . The Basics In order to use commas correctly, writers must understand the following three pieces of grammar. Independent Clauses Independent clauses are complete sentences. Therefore, they contain a subject and a verb. These sentences can stand alone and are grammatically correct without the addition of other phrases added to them."Clauses: The Essential Building-Blocks." Clauses: The Essential Building-Blocks. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. . Dependent Clauses Dependent clauses are incomplete sentences. These phrases must be added to a complete sentence in order to be grammatically correct. Commas are often used to add these clauses to an independent clause. Conjunctions Conjunctions combine phrases, clauses, or individual words. The conjunctions often used with commas are coordinating conjunctions. These words are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. The six words are commonly knows as FANBOYS. When to Use a Comma The correct situations in which a comma should be used can be broken into three subcategories. To Set Off Parts of Speech 1) A comma should be used to set off words, clauses, or phrases that are used as an introduction in the sentence. "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Commas. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. . *When the semester is over, I will be able to enjoy sleep again. *No, I will not be staying in Michigan. 2) Commas (one before and one after) should be used to set off nonessential information from the main clause. Information that is not essential to the sentence can be moved to a different location in the sentence or can be completely removed, and the sentence will still make sense. *Michigan, a very snowy state, is in the Northwest. 3) A comma should be used to set off times, dates, and geographic locations from the rest of the sentence. *April 28, 2014, is the last day of finals. *Nassau, Bahamas, is where I will be headed to. To Separate Parts of Sentences 1) A comma should be used to separate words or phrases in a list. *All I want is the sun, sand, and waves. *Summer is the best season because there is no school, it is warm, and there are more activities to do. 2) When two independent clauses are connected by a coordination conjunction, a comma should be placed before the conjunction. *Winter is sometimes fun, but summer is always fun. 3) A comma is used to separate the main clause of the sentence from a quotation. *She exclaimed, "We only have a few more months of the cold!" Positional Uses 1) When using coordinate adjectives, a comma must separate the different adjectives describing the noun. Adjectives are coordinate adjectives they describe the same noun and the order of the adjectives within the sentence does not matter. *No one can resist a warm, sunny day. *No one can resist a sunny, warm day. 2) Commas are used behind or in front of free modifiers. Free modifiers are dependent clauses that are can be added anywhere in the sentence and still be grammatically correct. *Gliding gently across the water, she appreciated the time she had to sail. *As she appreciated the time she had to sail, she was gliding gently across the water. When Not to Use a Comma To Set Off Information 1) A comma should not be used to set off essential information. Essential information is information that is key in making the sentence make sense. *The beaches on the east coast are fantastic. *Not: The beaches, on the east coast, are fantastic. To Separate 1) It is incorrect to use a comma to separate the subject and the verb in a sentence. *The students at Eastern Michigan University are ready for warm weather. *Not: The students at Eastern Michigan University, are ready for warm weather. 2) A comma should not separate the independent and dependent clause when the dependent follows the independent. *We will relax on the beach during our summer vacation. *Not: We will relax on the beach, during our summer vacation. 3) Commas are not used to separate non-coordinate adjectives. The order of non-coordinate adjectives matter in a sentence, unlike coordinate adjectives. *Bermuda is famous for its pink sand beaches. *Not: Bermuda is famous for its pink, sand beaches. Over Use 1) Commas should not be used as conjunctions. When a comma is used as a conjunction, the error is called a comma splice. This can be corrected by adding a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) after the comma, or a period can replace the comma to create two separate sentences. *Wrong: The band performed on the beach, it was magical. *Correct: The band performed on the beach, so it was magical. *Correct: The band performed on the beach. It was magical. 2) Commas are not used in compound sentences where the subject is the same before and after the conjunction. *She pushed away from the dock and sailed into the river. *Not: She pushed away from the dock, and sailed into the river. References